


Party Hard

by paranoidangel



Category: Doctor Who (1963)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-12-23
Updated: 2011-12-23
Packaged: 2018-02-09 20:43:10
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,570
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1997148
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/paranoidangel/pseuds/paranoidangel
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Barbara discovers news things about Ian at staff parties.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Party Hard

**Author's Note:**

> Beta by hhertzof.

There had been an end of term feeling in the air all day. Neither the teachers nor the children had been inclined to do much work and everyone was in high spirits by the time the final bell rang. The pupils went out into the sunshine to celebrate; the teachers went to the local pub for the traditional end of term party.

Barbara had only been at Coal Hill School since Easter, so this was the first time she'd seen the staff let their hair down. O levels, A levels and end of year exams had kept everyone too busy to celebrate a week off at half term, so it seemed like they were making up for it now. It was only tea time and already she had seen signs of people who couldn't hold their drink.

With the growing inebriation the time for pleasant chat about plans for the summer holidays was beginning to pass; now there was some serious drinking to do. Guarding her glass of wine in case anyone spilt it, Barbara made her way over to where Brenda sat on a padded bench in a corner. They smiled at each other and Brenda shifted over just enough for Barbara to squeeze on the end.

Once she sat down Barbara discovered she had a good view of the whole pub and half the garden from this position. Which was probably why Brenda had bagged the seat. "Where's Susie?" she asked. Brenda and Susie seemed to be the least harmless of the staff, based on which of them gossiped the most, and therefore her closest female friends at the school.

"Gregg thinks he's getting somewhere with her," Brenda replied, pointing the pair of them out. "But he's just had too much to drink as usual."

As Barbara watched, Gregg shifted forward on his seat, so his and Susie's knees were touching. Susie made a face and turned sideways. Barbara put a hand over her mouth to stop herself from laughing, but Brenda didn't have any such inhibitions. The sound carried easily and distracted Gregg long enough for Susie to escape his clutches and rush to the safety of the toilets.

"And Ian has half the women in the pub hanging on his every word," Brenda continued, looking over to the other side of the bar.

Barbara had been trying not to look, but it was hard to miss. The same thing happened at school. Ian never lacked for company in the canteen or the staff room. At least Brenda and Susie never threw themselves at him. Barbara couldn't understand why the rest of them did, but Ian never seemed to mind. He looked to be in his element now, entertaining the women arranged before him. She wondered if he knew that it wasn't just his witty repartee they were interested in, but she didn't see how he could miss it.

She started when she heard him call her name.

"Barbara will know more about that than I do," he said loud enough for her to hear and motioned for her to come over.

She didn't miss the looks the other women gave her and she hesitated to leave her comfortable seat. Brenda, however, had other ideas and practically pushed her out of it. Then moved over, so there wasn't any space for Barbara to sit back down. She grinned as Barbara gave her a look.

Ian didn't appear to have seen any of this and he smiled at her as she turned back to face him. Accepting her fate, she smiled back and went over. The other women grudgingly made space for her beside them although not, she noticed, next to Ian.

"Rhonda was asking about Galileo being excommunicated," he said. "But that's more your speciality than mine."

Barbara gave him a searching look, but he looked and sounded sincere. She didn't kid herself for a minute that the women around her wanted to hear what she had to say about Galileo.

"I know what he said," he continued, "but not why his discoveries caused so much trouble."

He looked interested. She could understand that he might want to know more about the subject, so she stayed and told Ian what she knew, for the sake of his curiosity if nothing else. As she did so, ignoring the other women, they gradually drifted away and left her alone with Ian. He didn't seem to notice and happily carried on chatting with Barbara for the rest of the evening.

~*~

When Ian had invited her to come along to a party with his colleagues, Barbara wondered why he'd asked. He'd only been to one since starting at the college, but that was before they were married. Even so, husbands and wives weren't usually invited since it was just the usual end of term celebration. Ian wouldn't give her anything but the vaguest of reasons, but she suspected it had something to do with that last party and why he hadn't been to any since. He wouldn't be drawn on just what had happened, though, so she agreed to come along, thinking that she might at least get to find out why he was so quiet about it.

Barbara had to come straight from school herself, so she was a little late. All eyes turned to her as she walked in and she tried not to blush at the attention. She hadn't intended to make an entrance. Fortunately, Ian soon came over and everyone turned back to their conversations. He introduced her to the secretary, Mary, who was hosting the party at her flat, then he left to get her a drink.

"It's so lovely to meet you," Mary said.

Barbara blinked, surprised. She hadn't imagined Ian had spoken of her much. Or perhaps it was because he hadn't that they were all curious to see what she was like. She tried not to feel scrutinised - Mary wasn't Ian's mother after all. "Your home is lovely," she said, so as not to dwell on that thought.

Mary beamed. That was clearly the right thing to say. "My husband works in the city."

So that explained how she could afford a big flat in the centre of London overlooking the Thames.

"But enough about my husband, what about yours?" Mary looked far more interested in the subject than Barbara would have expected.

Barbara frowned. "What about Ian?" She wondered what was taking him so long to pour one drink.

"Well," she lowered her voice, "does he flirt with everyone or just women he really likes?"

Barbara looked at her, agape as she wondered exactly what Ian had been doing. Then she shook her head. That idea was ridiculous. He was just naturally charming to everyone. Admittedly, he had flirted with her, but then he'd married her. She couldn't imagine that he flirted with Mary. He had always been so popular with the female teachers at Coal Hill and could probably have had any woman he wanted. But he'd chosen her.

She looked over to the kitchen to see Ian, a drink in each hand, surrounded by women. After a moment of jealousy she reminded herself how he'd reacted when that happened in the past. Barbara wondered if she should go over, but she couldn't understand why these women would be hanging on his every word just because he was handsome and charming. They must know he was married and that she was here.

Her pause had gone on so long that Mary called her name. Barbara had forgotten she was there for a moment. But before Barbara could try and come up with an answer to her question, Ian caught her eye, and then mouthed 'help' at her. She tried not to smile and told herself she'd been silly to think that Ian would be interested in anyone else.

"He doesn't flirt with anyone," she said sternly. "Please excuse me," she added in a more normal tone of voice, before going into the kitchen. Ian held a glass of wine out to her and once she'd taken it, he put an arm about her shoulders. The women around him were a range of ages and beauty. Some of them had glazed expressions and Barbara soon found out why when she listened to the conversation.

Most of it she didn't understand, but she knew enough to tell that it was highly technical. Given their expressions she wasn't sure any of these women were scientists, which made her wonder how they'd got onto this topic in the first place. Shooting her looks of hatred, the women drifted away one by one. Ian continued talking, although Barbara suspected what he was saying was nonsense. She'd known him long enough to pick up some science after all.

Once the last one had gone Ian sighed and kissed Barbara.

"What was all that about?" she asked.

"I don't think they believed I was married," he said.

She frowned. Admittedly they'd eloped at half term, but he had returned wearing a wedding ring, which Barbara would have said was proof enough.

"I think they think I'm just pretending because I can't choose between them."

Barbara tried not to smile. Some things never changed. Although these days she knew she had no reason to be jealous. "Oh, I think they know now," she said, remembering the looks they'd given her. "But just to be sure..." She kissed him again.


End file.
